Policy Watch

Read on to find out about the latest policy work and policy news. In April, the Commission for the Compact commissioned two new pieces of research, one exploring what makes a successful Local Compact and the other, undertaken in partnership with Help the Hospices, looking into the funding of palliative care through charitable hospices.

Local Compacts Research

Local Compacts are agreements between local government, local public bodies and the local voluntary and community sector, and 99 per cent of local authority areas are now covered by a Local Compact.

However, there are varying degrees of success and this research has been commissioned to identify the key factors behind successful Local Compacts and positive local partnership relationships.

A report highlighting the findings will be published in late July 2008. Good practice implementation guidance will be developed and produced for Local Compacts, together with regional workshops later in the summer.

For more information, please contact:

Richard Williams, Policy Adviser

Commission for the Compact

Tel: 0121 237 5914

Email: richard.williams@thecompact.org.uk

Hospices Research

Palliative care is an extremely important service, and much of it is delivered by independent charitable hospices who have significant expertise in this area. They are largely funded by local community fundraising but in many cases they also receive funding from government via Primary Care Trusts.

The Commission for the Compact believes that if the Compact is implemented properly throughout the sector, it will help build positive local relationships between hospices and Primary Care Trusts, resulting in better care services.

Together with Help the Hospices, the Commission for the Compact has commissioned a piece of research into the funding of palliative care to identify good practice and find out why bad practice occurs. The research will take the form of a series of case studies looking at different local relationships between Primary Care Trusts and charitable hospices, and implementation of the Compact. The findings will be published in September 2008, and they will be used to help improve implementation of the Compact in this sector.

For more information, please contact:
Ruth Etkind, Policy Adviser
Commission for the Compact

Tel: 0121 237 5912

Email: ruth.etkind@thecompact.org.uk

A new National Indicator for “an environment for a thriving third sector”

The new set of 198 National Indicators, which form the basis of the Comprehensive Area Assessment for local government, includes a specific indicator concerning the third sector.

The National Indicators cover all the national priority outcomes which local authorities are responsible for delivering. National Indicator 7 (NI7) covers An environment for a thriving third sector and it measures how third sector organisations rate the impact of local statutory bodies on their success.

The first perception survey targeting third sector organisations will take place in autumn 2008. In addition, it will look at local partnership arrangements, funding opportunities and influence on decision-making.

In March, the Office of the Third Sector published a briefing note to provide Local Strategic Partnerships with more information and guidance on the NI7 indicator.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/